Telemedicine in India going wireless, but having major impact now. Exerpts from an interview with K. Ganapathy, president of Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation (ATNF), who provides telemedicine services to suburban and rural areas of India. With the assistance of ATNF, 103 centers have been setup that have provided more than 45,000 consultations to date. The […]
New Concept in Elderly Care: Small Groups
“Our energy needs to be around how to replace nursing homes. Not replace the building but replace the idea that older people can be taken away and put into an institution,” Dr. Thomas recalls saying. He described his vision of homelike places where elderly residents could gather, dine together and sit before a blazing fire.”This […]
Respite care makes sense for everyone
There is a little confusion as to what respite care is. To some, it is care provided in the home; to others, care provided at a facility. Regardless of how you define it, respite care spells temporary relief for caregivers. Respite care is not a new concept. In fact, the Senate and President Bush have […]
Moving Mom In
Six months after my dad passed away my mother fell and broke her hip. She was 74 and her health was getting worse already. My husband and I were faced with a serious decision: find a assisted living facility nearby or move her in with us. We live in a fairly small town in North […]
Aging in Place & Elderly Care: Helpful Resources
If you are preparing to, or considering, providing some level of care for your parents (either live-in or aging in place), here are a couple of good articles to read. By no means exhaustive, but all have points to consider as you begin planning. (In no particular order.) How to get good home care for […]
Elderly Social Activities: Excursions
Let’s face it, just because you are older does not mean you don’t require social interaction. You know how it is; seeing the same family members every day, never going anywhere different or meeting new people. It takes the drive out of a person. Research has shown there is a strong connection between the lack […]
Elderly Depression and Suicide : Alert
Suicide is always an uncomfortable topic to discuss, but the truth is, it is occurring more in more in those that are coming into retirement or aging in place. A report from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in April of this year states that the elderly suicide rate is higher than […]
The Saddest Day
Bill was eyeing himself in the mirror as I began my morning routine. He always was an early riser; much more so than me. It was Saturday and I was scheduled to work with a group of volunteers at a local shelter for the better part of the day. Bill, as usual, would stick around […]